seed with black tap root?

[iamyour_messiah]

Hey all,

Im currently germinating some santa maria seeds. One of them sprouted a black tap root. My first though was that maybe it was just dead/rotten and therefore discolored. But it actually seems alive and well, sprouting nicely and looking 'perky' in so far as a tap root can

Has anyone seen this before? Might it be a pigment mutation or is it something that the plant will grow out of in time?

Ive taken a couple of pics as best I could with my pocket camera. What do you guys think?

 

[geopolitical]

That's not a root, that's the seed cracking apart while sweling. Dead seeds most likely.

 

[iamyour_messiah]

I can see that its cracking apart and yes from some of those pics it even looks like there's nothing there but an open crevice. I guess its cause its all dark.

But if you look at the second pic I posted and maximize it you'll see that between the two halves cracking apart there is clearly a pointed tip coming out. I guess it's probably doomed, but still, doesn't look like any dead seeds I've come across.

 

[muddywaters]

ya, i see it. it does look like a black tap root. hope it works out for you and doesn't end up being a dud.

 

[driftersmokinjo]

Maybe it is the HOLY GRAIL and you are the lucky sombich to get it.

 

[Ziltoid]

x

 

[MadBuddhaAbuser]

if you're germing in paper towels, that is way too wet.

its prob a rotten seed. i've seen black spot on a mostly white root and its made it. just watch them. and wring out that towel.

 

[iamyour_messiah]

All is ok it seems. Although at first it really looked like the entire tap root was black, it turned out to be some of husk? Don't know how else to describe it, looked kinda like a protective mantle with a white tip protruding from it when i popped it in a rockwool cube.

As for the wet paper towels, I was actually germinating them in a glass of water. I find it safer to pour out into a bowl with paper towels so the seeds cant go all over the place.

 

[iamyour_messiah]

Ok so this little seedling is has popped the surface now and there's definitely something odd about him/her.

Looks as though its only got one cotyledon and there something else in the place of the other. I get the feeling its gonna have trouble opening up to the light on its own by the looks of it. I might try to help out a bit with a delicate hand and a pair of tweezers/toothpick.

Anyone seen this before? Sry for the crappy pics, i couldn't get it to focus properly on macro.

 

[igrowone]

interesting, might have been a damaged embryo/seed, but had enough to sprout
that the inner black seed coat seems to have moved with the taproot is odd
curious how this turns out

 

[SOTF420]

It's an indicator Armageddon has now begun. Beware!

 

[Iraganji]

It's an indicator Armageddon has now begun. Beware!

lol

To the OP, glad to see your seed/seedling is still fighting for life.

 

[iamyour_messiah]

Well I had a real close look to see what I was dealing with and I realized there was basically some inner membrane still wrapped around the two cotyledons. Got in there with my tweezers and toothpick and was able to slip it off like a sock. Turns out the little thing looks totally normal.

 

[SOTF420]

Then the world is not ending after all.

Cheers!

 

[Deft]

I was just going to tell you about the black/dark green membrane that a lot of seeds have a hard time with but you figured it out it looks like.

I use tweezers to remove the seed coat once it breaks ground and usually this thing is still on and needs to be removed to help the cotty leaves start working.

 

[SOTF420]

When seedlings come up and still have the embryo membrane around the little sprout leafs some misting with fresh warm water really helps to dissolve it and even more so with a little splash of hydrogen peroxide in the mix just give them a gentle spray every half hr or so until it releases or easily pulls off. Pulling it away dry can damage the seedling and yank it up or rip it in half if you are rough!

 

[MadBuddhaAbuser]

All is ok it seems. Although at first it really looked like the entire tap root was black, it turned out to be some of husk? Don't know how else to describe it, looked kinda like a protective mantle with a white tip protruding from it when i popped it in a rockwool cube.

As for the wet paper towels, I was actually germinating them in a glass of water. I find it safer to pour out into a bowl with paper towels so the seeds cant go all over the place.

clever idea so as to not lose your beans.


glad to see everything is goin good with it. I've had more than a few of those "still sealed" cotyls before. usually just toothpick em off after a day or two if it hasnt on its own.

sometimes when a plant doesnt come out picture perfect, people panic and toss it, bet you're glad you waited on that "black tap root" now huh?